Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Cut bacon into thin strips. Slice sausages into 1 inch pieces. Peel and dice onions. Chop bell pepper and celery. Mince garlic (yes, the whole head). Chop zuccini into ½ inch pieces.

In a medium frying pan, cook bacon. Remove to paper towels. Leave all buy a bit of fat in pan and cook sausages until done. Set aside on paper towels. Wipe out pan, add olive oil and saute onions, bell pepper, celery and zuccini. After vegetables just begin to soften, make a hole in center and add garlic; after the garlic has softened, continue stirring and cooking until all are soft through.

In a large stock pot, heat chicken broth, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and kidney beans. Add basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and hot pepper flakes and vegetables. Cut sausage pieces in halves, add with bacon to soup. After all is heated through, you simmer for an hour or so to enhance the flavors. 30 minutes or so before serving, while keeping the temperature at simmer, add cannellini beans, tortellini and spinach leaves. When tortellini are hot, soup is ready.

Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Before serving, I added a little fresh minced sweet basil.